Propst

I am a proud graduate of the great Winston-Salem State University with a degree in Biology and minor in Chemistry. Upon graduating, I worked as a laboratory manager/research technician at WSSU before returning back to school to receive my Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree at National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL (in the western suburbs of the awesome city of Chicago!). Upon graduating in 2014, I returned to my hometown of Greensboro, NC where I practiced at an integrative medical clinic. I have always had a great desire to educate and mentor young faces and am thankful for this opportunity. Not only will I be able to be an educator, but with summers off, I will also be able to practice the medicine I love so dearly. It’s a WIN-WIN!!

What you should expect of me – I will do my best to teach your child what he or she needs to know about earth and environmental science in order to be successful in this class and in future science classes. I will be as fair as I can possibly be to your child. I try to teach in a way that will benefit all students. I realize that not all students learn the same way and some students may fall behind. That being said, I offer tutoring after school, as well as other days before school and after school by appointment. In addition, other teachers will be available on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for tutoring. I encourage students to come in immediately if they feel they need help. Grades will be available online and I will update the grades following the end of each unit. If I do fall behind or you wish to have more information about your child, feel free to contact me with your questions by email or voicemail.

If you would like periodic updates of what we are doing in class, you can check your parent portal to see what we are covering in class each unit. Should you ever have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress in the class you can either email me or leave a voicemail and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

What I expect of your child – I expect that all of my students work to their fullest potential. I expect that your child will pay attention in class, copy notes, participate in group discussions, ask questions should they arise, and come to tutoring if he/she requires extra attention. Even though I do not collect assignments on a daily basis (they are collected at the end of the unit) and some not at all, I do still expect every student to participate when prompted in order to get the most out of the class and to complete all assignments as assigned. If a student is absent or forgets his/her assignment at school, I do expect them to look in the absentee bin to see what he/she is missing.

What I hope from parents – I hope that my students’ parents will contact me should they ever have concerns regarding their child’s progress in this class. I hope that this is done throughout each quarter and not at the very end of the semester after it is too late for the student to get caught up. I hope parents are aware that I am going to work hard to ensure my students’ success in this class. Please, do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Kiayia Propst, ND

Earth/Environmental Science

(336) 294-7300 propstk@gcsnc.com

Welcome to Earth and Environmental Science! This class focuses on teaching students about the natural world we live in, and how we as a species impact the environment. This introductory science is one of the three required by the state of North Carolina for graduation from high school. When appropriate, we will be doing hands-on experiments as well as other activities where students will be moving around the room to gather information. The behavior of the students in these settings will dictate the types and amount of time we spend doing such activities.

Since this class is a graduation requirement, the Earth/Environmental team has built in many safety nets to help students be successful. I am here to help students – I am generally here from 7:50 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and I check my email until 5:00 p.m. Tutoring will be available with me and with other teachers. Students have no reason not to get help!

Tips for Doing Well in Earth/Environmental Science

If you child is struggling in class, or if their grade is not as high as you believe it could be, here are some ideas of the “safety nets” that are in place which can help your child improve their grades.

1. Look at your child’s grade. Are there glaring areas of weakness? Look at the following:

a. Are all homework assignments completed?

b. Are all classwork assignments completed?

c. Are any of the assignment grades low?

d. Are the quiz grades low?

e. Are the test grades low?

2. Students are required to keep a notebook that is organized with every assignment. This should be updated daily.

3. A notebook quiz will be given roughly twice a quarter that will count as the “notebook grade”. The questions will be based on the assignments, notes, and other handouts that should be kept within their notebook.

4. If your child does not finish a classwork assignment in class, they often have several days to complete it since the assignments are not usually collected the next day.

5. Students are allowed to turn in work late, with a penalty for it being late. There is no reason for students to “forget their homework” and take a zero. They can turn it in the next day for a slight reduction for tardiness.

6. Students are allowed to use a “knowledge card” on the quiz (a 3”x5” index card with notes written on it) – basically a cheat sheet – that is kept in the front of the room. They will be able to access this card several times during the test if they need to.

7. If your child doesn’t understand the classwork or homework assignment or a topic we are discussing in class, tutoring is available. Tell your child to come in and ask questions.

Do you want to stay on your child and make sure they are completing all assignments? If so, here is what you can do!

1. Ask your child what they are working on in class.

2. Ask to see your child’s homework.

3. Check their grades through Powerschool.

4. Contact me – but, please don’t wait until the end of the quarter to do so – by then it is too late.